


Finding Peace in Your Arms

by Randomfandombloggs09



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 03:25:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21487555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randomfandombloggs09/pseuds/Randomfandombloggs09
Summary: The team learns that Buck and Eddie find the best sleep when they find it together.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 44
Kudos: 859





	1. Bobby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tattered_Dreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tattered_Dreams/gifts).

> I honestly have no idea what this is. After all the support over my last fic I felt inspired and this idea popped into my head, so I picked up my phone and started writing without any restrictions
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy!

Buck and Eddie have practically been attached at the hip since Eddie first started at the 118. Well, after Buck had gotten through his small temper tantrum that is. But the point is that the team has gotten used to the fact that if you have one of them then the other can't be very far behind. But it was quickly discovered that the two men gravitate the closest to each other in the moments when they are both in their weakest and most vulnerable state. Sleep.

Bobby had been the first one to find them in one of those moments. The team had finally reached the halfway point of their twelve hour shift and Bobby was more than ready to pass out himself. They were all currently sitting quietly in the firetruck as they headed back to the station after a call. A quick glance in the rearview told Bobby every thing he needed to know. 

"Hey." Bobby says the single word lightly. It still doesn't stop it from sounding like a bomb going off in all their ears as it comes drifting through the headsets. Bobby twist around just in time to see each member of his team each doing their best to shake off the exhaustion pulling at their features to listen with rapt attention to their captain. Bobby is more than happy to let them relax again. "I want everybody to find a comfortable place to rest and catch some sleep. We'll have the second crew that's already prepped and ready to go take point on all medical calls while you guys recover. Not too long, omly an hour or two. Just enough to put some pep back in your step yeah?" 

"I have never loved you more than I do right now Cap." Chimney says, seemingly the voice for all of them. Bobby lets his eyes drift over each member of his team, gaining some form of acknowledgment first before turning back around with an offhand comment about getting some sleep himself. 

As soon as they reach the station and hop out of the trucks Bobby sends them away to wherever to get some sleep. Not a single one of them tries to fight him as the walk off to the lockers to shed their turnout gear. Bobby lingers behind them to talk to the second on-duty crew to have them resrock, organize, and refuel the truck to others can sleep. The second crew does it without question, more than happy to allow the other members of 118 to take much needed naps. Bobby stays with them just long enough to make sure they know what exactly needs to be done before he follows after the others. 

He couldn't have been more than 15-20 minutes, but a quick check into the bunk room tells him that his team has already successfully fallen asleep. Well, Bobby realizes, at least half. He can see Chim over on the closest bunk to the door. Apparently he skipped over taking off the entirety of his turnout gear and instead chose to simply collapse face down into the bed and promptly pass out still wearing the pants and boots. On the bunk next to him is Hen. Bobby had seen all of her turnout gear tucked nicely into her locker, and she is currently curled up underneath the blanket sound asleep. Bobby walks over and gently takes the glasses she had forgotten, or didnt care enough, to remove and sets them on the stand between Chim and Hen. 

Bobby looks around the room one more and draws the same conclusion he had before. Buck and Eddie were nowhere to be seen. Bobby sighs and shakes his head before making his way out of the room and closing the door behind him carefully to block out the noise of the station. This wouldn't be the first time the two boys hadn't listened when Bobby told them to catch some sleep. Sometimes the preferred to stay awake so they didn't feel the heaviness that came with taking a nap that wasnt quite long enough. So instead they would sit upstairs together at on of the tables and talk quietly to each other as they sipped at their coffee. More than happy to let the second team on-duty take a call or two off their shoulders. But today of all days Bobby had hoped they'd chose to tale the nap. Eddie had been half asleep since he came in, he had told Bobby that Christopher had a nightmare again last night. And usually if one of them decided to nap then the other did to since their partner wouldnt be awake to talk to. But Buck had been rubbing at his exhausted eyes as furiously as any of them had. 

Bobby expects to hear the normal telltale signs of Buck and Eddie's presence as he climbs the last of the stairs, but he finds only silence. By now he can normally here the rumble of low voices and the sound of cups being picked up or set down against their wooden tables. The only sound that he can actually make out as his feet his the top of the landing is the muted tick of the clock. Bobby furrows his eyebrows and is about to head back downstairs to see if he had truly just missed them in the bunk room (he had found them sleeping on the floor one time and he still isnt sure why they were there) before the tuft of hair thats barely visable over the back of the couch catched his attention.

He pads quietly over to the small living area of the loft. There, curled together on the couch, is Buck and Eddie. There's two coffee mugs sitting on the table in front of the men as if they were going to attempt to stay awake, but Bobby can clearly see that they had lost that particular battle. Buck is still sitting up, his head drooping off to one side and his eyes closed in sleep. His arms are down by his sides and his feet are stretched out and resting on the coffee table. His body as a whole is angled towards the left, right where Eddie is completely pressed up against his side. 

Eddie had obviously lost the battle first. His head is resting firmly on Buck's shoulder as he lets out quiet little snores. Eddie's arm has somehow tucked instead underneath Buck's and his hand has landed itself lightly on Buck's lap. Buck's own hand is resting against the inside of Eddie's wrist. Their legs are lined up perfectly without even a inch of space and their feet have become somewhat of a tangled mess where they rest on the table. Bobby suddenly notices that for the first time that day, not a single hint of tension resides in their forms. Not even the small amount the team has learned to carry with them even into sleep so that they can react at a moments notice if the alarms go off. 

Bobby smiles gently at the two. Its about damn time they got some proper rest, and if they need each other to do it then Bobby could care less about where they sleep. He would have preferred they had fallen asleep in the quiet sanctuary of the bunk room so that the hustle and bustle of the 118 fire station doesn't wake them. But as Bobby looks at them, he doubts that there would be much on this Earth that could pull them from the comfort and safety of the sleep they have provided for each other. 

So Bobby takes care of their lukewarm cups, drapes one of the softest blankets the station has over them, and leaves them be. He makes sure to stop by the trucks to warn the second team upon going upstairs to the loft to remain as quiet as possible so the two could sleep before going into the bunk room to claim a bed for himself. 

By the time he wakes up an hour and a half later and makes his way upstairs Buck and Eddie have already risen. Hen and Chimney follow him up a few minutes later and they all sit down at the table to eat and drink some much needed coffee. 

If Bobby is completely honest, Buck and Eddie seem to look the most rested out of them all. 


	2. Hen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, another chapter of pure Buddie snuggle fluff. Hope you enjoy!!

It shouldn't come as any sort of surprise that Hen is the next one who stumbles across one of these moments between Buck and Eddie. 

Eddie had arrived to work that day with an attitude Hen could best describe as 'pissed off at the world'. She had watched Eddie quickly walk through the station without even so much as muttering a good morning to anyone before entering the locker room and slamming the door closed after him. Hen had simply looked on with a shocked expression before turning her head to the left where Chimney was sat. 

"Who the Hell pissed in his Cheerios?" Hen asks, and Chim only raises his hands in defense. 

"I swear I don't know anything. He seemed perfectly fine at the end of the shift yesterday." Chim responds and he slowly lowers her hands. Hen shakes her head as she stares at the locker room door from her place at a table at the edge of the loft. Eddie emerges a few seconds later with his head lowered and a heaviness in his steps. When he finally ascends the stairs and passes by her and Chim, Hen does her best to not be offended by the complete lack of acknowledgement. Chim lets out a low and drawn out whistle that catches her attention. "Just how much more pissed do you think he's gonna be when he finds out that Buckaroo isn't gonna be in until halfway through the shift today?" 

" Wait what, why isn't he gonna be here at normal time?" Hen asks, her worry shifts from Eddie to Buck for a second as she goes over what could possibly be keeping Buck from work. 

"Oh nothing to do with Buck himself. Maddie has a dentist appointment today to get her wisdom teeth out. For some reason she hadn't ever needed them removed before now, but anyway, Buck said he'd take her there and drive her back home. I was actually supposed to have the day off myself but I told Buck I'd cover for him while he went to the appointment, then I'd switch out and watch over her afterwards." Chim finishes his answer with a small shrug as he leans back in his seat with his coffee mug. 

"Oh, well, I suppose that makes sense. I'd be surprised if Eddie didn't already know that though. They're best friends, Buck tells Eddie everything." 

"Well we're best friends and you didn't know I wasn't actually supposed to be here until after I just told you. But maybe that's why Eddie's so pissed off." Chim says before looking over his shoulder at the man in question. He's sitting at the other end of the loft with his head in his hand as he sips his fresh cup of coffee. 

"I highly doubt Eddie would be that upset about Buck missing part of work today. Something is bothering him, I'm going to go talk to him." Hen says as she pushes her own mug away from her on the table. She has barely risen from her seat and taken two steps before the alarm blaring through the station causes her to pause. Alright, so later then. 

They have all tucked themselves into the firetruck and it's barely started rolling forward before Eddie finally speaks. 

"Where's Buck?" 

Hen almost lets out a laugh. Of course that would be the first thing Eddie said to anyone today. She's actually surprised that he doesn't know the answer. Chim speaks up from the other side of the truck to relay the same message as before to Eddie. Hen watches as the line of his shoulders become even more tense when Eddie realizes that Buck won't be there for another few hours yet. 

Those hours are spent with a irritable and silent Eddie. During the calls he works seamlessly with the team as always, if only the fact that he stays quieter. It's in the moments between calls that this different Eddie breaks through. He doesn't laugh and joke with them team, but instead isolates himself to the bunk room or a corner of the station. He'd even happily taken up a cleaning assignment so he could throw his headphones on. When Chim announces that its time for him to leave to switch out with Buck Hen almost wants to shove him out the door. She loves her best friend, truly, but she can't deal with watching Eddie isolate himself in quiet angry solitude anymore. 

Hen almost wants to kiss Buck when she sees him walk up the steps and into the station. He's smiling brightly and saying hello to everyone he passes so Hen makes the assumption that whatever is effecting Eddie didn't extend to Buck directly. (She had been worried about Christopher all day, wondering if it was something about him that had Eddie upset). Hen meets Buck at the door of the locker room. There must be something on her face that screams worry because Buck lets his bag slide off his shoulder and hit the floor before he grabs Hen's hands and asks a frantic "Hen you alright?" 

Hen smiles reassuringly and moves her other hand to gently pat Buck's. "I'm okay Buckaroo, but something is up with your partner." 

"Eddie? Chim had said he's been having a rough day but other then that he didn't say much else." Buck responds as he lets go of Hen's hands and picks his bag up off the floor. Hen follows him into the locker room as he moves to change his shirt. 

"I don't know what is wrong with him exactly. He has barely said a word to anyone all day and the few times someone has tried to talk to him he just says he's fine and walks away. Myself included. The only thing he's really said today is a question about where you were." Buck slips his LAFD shirt over his head and pulls it down before turning to Hen.

"Oh shit, I must have forgotten to tell him about Maddie's appointment. Where is he now?" Hen gestures toward the bunk room as they exit the locker room. 

"He's been in there since the last call. We've all been staying out in hopes that he will sleep it off or something." 

"Alright, thanks Hen." Buck mumbles. He squeezes her hand once as he walks by. She watches as he slips into the bunk room and closes the door firmly shut behind him. She prays to anyone who's listening for the alarms not to go off long enough for Buck to bring Eddie even a little bit out of his funk. 

A half hour later and Buck and Eddie are still in the room. Hen had punched Buck in for him and talk to Cap about where he was. Cap was just as happy as Hen to allow Buck some time to reach Eddie. But the grace period has ended and Hen was back to worrying. So she went to check on them. 

The door groans softly as she opens it. The room is still mostly dark but there is soft glow from one of the lamps on a nightstand. Hen allows her eyes adjust to the change and let's out a huge sigh of relief as her eyes find focus on the scene in front of her. Buck is sitting up against the wall, his legs stretched across the length of the bed. His head had been tipped back against the wall until Hen had come in and his eyes had slowly found hers. And Eddie? Eddie is laying down on the bed underneath the blankets. All except his top half that is. 

Because Eddie currently has his arms wrapped tightly around Buck's waist with his head tucked into Buck's side. Buck's own hand was softly running through Eddie's hair in a continous and comforting motion while his other hand rested against one of the arms wrapped around him. Eddie had one leg poking out from underneath the cocoon of blankets and tucked neatly between Buck's legs. The whole scene makes Hen's heart flutter in fondness for the two boys. Buck watches Hen carefully for minute before mouthing the words _All good out there?_

Hen nods once as she takes in Eddie again. For the first time that day the man is holding no sign of anger, stress, or worry is his form. His face is smoothed out in sleep and his lips hold a small upward curve to them as Hen watches him shuffle closer to Buck as he sleeps. Hen walks a little closer so that she can actually talk to Buck, but remain quiet enough to not wake Eddie up. 

"How is he?" She asks. Buck looks down at Eddie with a small frown gracing his features, though Hen can tell it's not directed at the man himself. 

"Better. He-....apparently his family called him last night. Instead of asking how him and Chris were they just started up on trying to tell Eddie he needed to move back to Mexico with them again. When Eddie kept saying no, same as always, they started telling him that he couldn't be a good father here. That he can't give Chris everything they can and that Chris would be happier with them instead of Eddie. He had told them to piss off in the moment but....." Buck sighs and tightens his hold on Eddie. 

"But it still got to him." Hen finishes softly. Buck nods. 

"Yeah, it did. He said he didn't know if he was more angry or hurt about it but it sucked either way. He didn't end up sleeping well last night because of it. So he was exhausted, physically and emotionally. He thought isolating himself was better then snapping at all of you for no reason and making you upset or angry." Hen watches them together for a few more seconds. Both of them are such selfless _idiots. _

"I hope he knows he can come to any of us about this stuff. We'll all gladly tell him just how completely _wrong_ his dick of a family is." Hen says, which causes Buck to let out a low chuckle.

"I uh....I think he just wanted to talk to me about it first." Buck says sheepishly, the tips of his ears turning pink. Hen smiles softly at him.

"I don't think, I know." Hen replies before standing from the bed across from Buck and Eddie that she had taken a seat on. "Alright, well you just take care of your boy there Buckaroo. Seems like he needs you right now more than us anyway. You'll hear if we have a call, otherwise I'll come get you once Cap finishes up dinner."

Buck groans and swats her hand away as she rustles his hair playfully. Hen doesn't comment on the fact that the pink has now spread into his cheeks. Hen turns around and walks over to the door before turning around to look at them one last time. Buck is looking down at Eddie with a small dopey smile on his face as his hand continues it's movement of running through Eddie's hair. Eddie himself lets out a sigh of contentment in his sleep as he pulls himself closer to Buck. 

_Selfless Idiots that love each other, that is. _Hen thinks to herself before she takes the final step out of the bunk room and closes the door behind her. 


	3. Maddie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little warning that this chapter is slightly angsty. You know I couldn't keep it completely full of fluff the whole time! 
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy!

The sound of Maddie's phone ringing out from her night stand drags her from the deep sleep she had been in. Maddie groans and pulls her pillow over her head to block out some of the noise. A peak out from underneath the pillow shows a bright red 3AM blinking back at her. Who the hell is calling her at this time? 

She's about to tuck her head back underneath the cove she made of her pillow when she finally recognizes the ring tone. It's the one she had set for Buck, the most obnoxious and loudest one she could find so it was guaranteed to wake her up every time. She had changed it to this ringtone when Buck was calling her more often than not in the middle of the night from a nightmare in the weeks following the tsunami. But it had been so long since she had recieved one of those calls that she had been meaning to change the ringtone back to a more subdued one. But then why was Buck calling her tonight? 

Maddie shoots up in her bed and scrambles for the phone sitting on her night stand. She thanks every God out there listening that she manages to answer it just before the last ring finishes. She doubts Buck would have called a second time. 

"Evan? Evan, what's going on? Are you alright?" Maddie is greeted by only silence. She pulls the phone away from her ear a bit to see if she had actually managed to accept the call on time, it's connected. She's about to call out again when a small and broken voice comes crackling down the line. 

"Maddie? Maddie I can't...I can't _breathe. _The water it's _everywhere. _Maddie-" Buck's voice breaks off into an awful sob that break Maddie's heart in two. 

"Evan, I need to calm down for me. There's no water, you're safe in your bed. You made it out." Maddie speaks softly as she slowly extracts herself from the confines of her blankets. This has to be one of the worst nightmares she's known Buck to have since the nights following the tsunami. He had been trapped in those ones for nearly half an hour. Maddie slept at Buck's a few times in order to be by his side to drag him out. 

" I _lost _him again Mads. The water took him and now I can't-" Buck's sobs continue as mumbled nonsense continues leaving his mouth. Maddie spends the next ten minutes running around her apartment to grab clothes, her purse, and any other necessities she knows she'll need once she reaches her brother. She has him calmed down enough that he can form full sentences and seems to be more aware of where he is. Although Maddie knows that the deep silence, the never-ending dark, and the sound of the slow pitter patter of rain that his apartment would gain if she ends the call will drag him into his waking nightmare again. She doesn't think he'd call her a second time. 

She's keeping up a quiet and slow conversation with Buck as she looks for her keys that never seem to be where she left them in the moments when she needs them. Buck keeps slipping in and out of frantic mumbling and barely there sentences. She finally finds her keys and pulls them into her hand when a soft voice from behind her startles her. 

"Maddie? Whats going on? You okay?" Chim's voice reaches her ears and she turns around with the phone still pressed to one. She had been so focused on Buck she had forgotten he was here. Chim furrows his eyesbrows in question but all Maddie can focus on is her brother's voice that flows from the phone.

"Is that Chim? Shit Maddie, did I interrupt something? Im so sorry, I'll...I'll let you go." Maddie panics. She knows that if the call ends Buck will be left alone, and she can only imagine the panic that would settle into his bones then. 

"No, no it's fine. Chimney will be fine." She hears Buck mumble a goodbye in response. "Evan Buckley do not hang up this pho-". 

Dial tone. 

_Shit. _

Maddie starts swearing as she runs over and throws her coat over her shoulders and starts pulling her boats on. Chim's hands on both her shoulders grabs her attention. 

"Maddie, you're putting on two different shoes right now. What's going on?" Maddie looks down at her feet and sees that she has, in fact, slipped into two different shoes. She groans and rips one off and grabs the boot that actually matches. 

"Buck just called me in a panic from a nightmare. I got him calmed down enough over the phone but he needs someone with him or he'll go back to right where he started." She sighs as she finally tugs on the boot. She pats down her pockets before she stands up and looks at Chim. "I'm so sorry to leave you but-"

"No, don't apologize. Go take care of our Buckaroo." He says softly and Maddie sends him a grateful smile. Maddie gives him a soft pec and shoves him back towards the room after telling him to go back to sleep. 

Maddie drives as quick as she can to Buck's but finds that even three in the morning can have traffic from Hell in LA. It doesn't help that Buck had chosen an apartment that was way farther away from Maddie's own for comfort. But she gets there eventually. She doesn't bother knocking and just uses the spare key Buck had given her. 

"Buck?" She calls softly, she knows that he usually doesn't fall asleep after a nightmare like that. She hears the sound of rustling from the direction of the living room followed by a voice. 

"Maddie? Uh, we're in here." Maddie pauses, we? And that......that was not Buck's voice. That actually sounded a lot like,

"Eddie?" Maddie questions as she rounds the stairs and steps into the living room. She's greeted by the site on Buck and Eddie curled together on the couch. 

Eddie is obviously still awake. He has his head against the arm of the couch while he lays across it. Buck is snuggled between Eddie and the back of the couch, tucked under Eddie's chin with his face shoved into Eddie's chest. Buck's arms are wrapped around Eddie's waist, hands gripping tightly onto his shirt, while one of Eddie's arms are wrapped around Buck to hold him close. The other arm is serving as Buck's pillow. A blanket is hazardously thrown over the both of them but Maddie can see that their legs are tangled together underneath. But Buck? Buck is sound asleep. 

"Hey Maddie." Eddie says softly, his head turned over his shoulder to look at her. 

"You're here?" Maddie asks quietly, sitting down on the coffee table in front of the couch. 

" Yeah, Buck called me but I answered it too late. He left a voicemail though, even though I don't think it was intentional. He was panicking, I couldn't even understand most of it. But it scared the crap out me so I woke Chris up long enough to get him here and came to Buck. Chris is upstairs but Buck didn't want to lay up there. Said the rain was too loud." Eddie says, keeping his voice low. "I'm guessing he called you when I didn't answer."

"Yeah, I almost missed the call myself. I talked to him long enough to calm him down a bit but when he heard Chim over the phone he thought he was interrupting and hung up. Selfless bastard. But I know my brother, and if he had been left alone then it would have gotten bad again so I rushed over. Looks like I didn't have to worry though." She says with a small gesture at the two men. Eddie lets out a sheepish smile. 

"I didn't want him to be alone either. When I got here it was.....bad Maddie. Luckily Christopher had fallen asleep on the drive over and stayed asleep so I just carried him up before going to Buck. It's like he was still trapped in the wave. I didn't know what to do." Eddie's voice wavers at the last part and Maddie's heart breaks for an entirely new reason. 

"Well, you must have done something right. I haven't ever been able to get him back to sleep after one that bad." She watches as Eddie turns to look down at Buck with a frown before turning back to Maddie. 

"All I did was hold him through it." Eddie whispers softly, as if he is telling Maddie the secret to the universe. Maddie smiles gently at him.

" There tends to be a difference when your sister holds you through a nightmare, and when someone you love does it." Maddie sets her hand gently on Eddie's arm as she says it. She half expects sputtering denial, a blush, or maybe even just a look of shock as soon as the word love had slipped from her lips. What she doesn't expect is Eddie's small nod as he whispers _yeah, I guess you're right. _

Maybe there's more to Buck and Eddie than her and any of the teams know. Because as far as she knows they still go by the title of 'best friends'. Maybe they both are fully aware of their love for each other but are to scared to act upon it quite yet. There's a lot of things, she suddenly realizes, that she doesn't know about the two men laying curled up together on the couch. Maybe she'll talk to Buck about it later, because the one thing she does know, is that for tonight, she is no longer needed. So she stands and brushes her hands across her pants before talking to Eddie again. 

"I'll bring by breakfast in the morning for all of us. Maybe I'll even bring Chim along. You got him?" Maddie asks. There's not even a second of hesitation before Eddie starts to nod his head with a sort of fierce determination. 

"Always." Eddie whispers back to her. Maddie just nods and bids him goodbye for the night. On the drive back to her apartment Maddie feels the most relaxed she has ever felt after leaving Buck after such a rough nightmare. It makes the drive go by quicker and she no longer feels the same frustration towards the massive amount of cars that are on LAs roads that she had earlier.

When she gets back to her apartment Chim is still awake. He sends her a questioning look as she climbs back into bed. "Maddie? I thought you were staying with Buck tonight. You've barely been gone an hour." 

"He's okay. Eddie is taking care of him. We are bringing them breakfast in the morning." Maddie says as she pulls the covers over her and turns the lights out before getting comfortable. 

"Eddie? He's over there? What is he do-" Maddie reaches a hand up and places it over Chim's mouth. 

"He's doing exactly what I told you he was. Taking care of my brother. Now hush, no more questions. It's time to go to sleep." Maddie slowly takes her hand off as Chim nods in understanding. 

Maddie falls asleep that night knowing her brother isn't alone in his terrors, but rather in the arms of the man he loves as he watches over Buck through the night. Its the best sleep she's had in years. 


	4. Chimney

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So so so sorry this update took as long as it did. Work has been kicking my ass with these twelve hour shifts. 
> 
> But it's here! After the small bit of angst I gave you the last two I kept this one super light and fun. 
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy. Just one more chapter to go!!

Chimney knows he should really stop being surprised about some things when it comes to Buck and Eddie.

He has long since gotten used to the fact that they refuse to stand anywhere else but shoulder to shoulder, and the fact that they always seem to be within five feet each other. He's even gotten used to both of them always excitedly talking about Christopher and all his accomplishments in school. They always eat together, walk together, work out together, pretty much in short; they do literally everything together while being attached at the hip. So basically, what Chim means, is that he has gotten used to the fact that Buck and Eddie are dating even if they claim to still be 'just friends', which Chim personally believes is bullshit. 

Which is why Chim doesn't understand why he is as shocked as he is now.

The shift had started off as it always does. Team breakfast, coffee, and sitting around talking lightly to drag themselves out of any lingering sleep still flowing through their veins. Then a call came in and off they went.

By all means it was a pretty busy day. Not as busy as in they had a ton a calls, but more in the sense that each call they went on required a lot of work. Grappling down to two hikers who slipped off a cliff, crawling through the rubble of a collapsed building to someone who had miraculously survived the fall, a house on fire, and a twelve car pile up that he's happy to say everyone walked away from.

A few more calls that each required something along the same amount of work later and Chim was starting to feel the way the hard labor of the day was wearing on him. So he had called out "Naptime!" on the way back to the station and he wasn't surprised to hear a round of agreement. There had been around an hour and half between each call today so he was sure they each would be able to successfully accomplish the task. The whole team had trudged into the bunk room and as far as he knew, passed out.

Chim woke up about an hour later. He made his way to the kitchen to find Bobby already up and standing at the stove.

He had talked to Cap for little while after that. It was peaceful between the two and Chim had even taken it upon himself to set the table for the team so that everything was ready once Cap had finished cooking a late lunch for everybody. After about twenty minutes Chim was given the task of rousing the rest of the team while Cap put the food on the table.

Which leads to where he is now. Padding around the bunk room to each member of the dozing team. Chim decided to wake Hen up first because she was the closest. He could see Eddie over on the far wall on the top bunk of one of the three bunk beds that the station had, but Buck was no where Chim could see.

"Hey Hen, time to rise and shine. Cap has lunch ready." He says softly as he lightly shakes her shoulder. Hen rolls over onto her back and rubs her eyes as she wakes up.

"Is there coffee involved?" She mumbles. Chim chuckles lightly and nods.

"Yeah, of course. I already made it for you. It's sitting at your spot at the table." Hen makes a happy noise before swinging her feet off the bed and sitting up, careful not to hit her head on the bunk above her. She reaches over for her glasses and shoves them on her face before letting out a long sigh and standing up with a stretch.

"How long were we out for?" Hen asks as she turns her body to crack her back. Chim sends her a slightly disgusted look as he responds.

" Jesus you're like a glow stick....but uh, about an hour and a half, give or take. Its been a decently quiet day. Oh, have you seen Buck?" Hen furrows her eyebrows then looks around the room. She looks back at Chim and shrugs.

"As far as I know he came to bed. Was he not out there?" Hen says before taking a seat again to tug on her boots.

"I've been awake about half an hour and I haven't seen him. Maybe the idiot is passed out in a firetruck again." Chim says and both of them laugh.

"I don't know why the boy does that as often as he does. They aren't the most comfortable places to sleep." Hen ties the last of her laces up and stands before placeing her hand on Chim's shoulder. She points over to Eddie as she speaks up again. "You go wake up Beevus and I'll go see if I can find Butthead."

Chin let's out another laugh as Hen ducks her way past him and out of the bunk room. Chim goes to walk over to Eddie to wake him up but stops as a thought crosses his mind. Just the other day Eddie had woken Chim up by jumping up and down on his bed, and with Hen safely out of the way today Chim decides its time for some payback. He can't very well jump up and down on a top bunk so he makes his way over to the light switch on the wall and flicks it up.

"GOOD MORNING SLEEPY HEAD, TIME TO WAKE UP!" Chim watches as Eddie jerks awake to his yell. His head flys around looking for the source of the loud noise before finally landing on Chim.

"Dude, what the hell?!?" Eddie groans, Chim throws his hand in the air in triumph. 

"Payback is a bi-" Chim starts, but ends up shocked into silence. Just as he is about to rejoice for a job well done Chim watches as Buck's head suddenly pops out from behind Eddie's shoulder with a mumbled 'What's going on?'. 

Eddie looks back at Buck and whispers something that Chim can't hear. Meanwhile, Chim is currently standing in the doorway with his mouth hanging open. Buck's eyes snap over to him and he barely has any time to react before a pillow is being chucked at his head. He, thankfully, catches it before it does.

"What do you want Chim?" Buck groans as he drops back onto the bed, once again getting lost behind Eddie's body.

"I, uh, HEN!" Chim yells. He hears her footsteps start walking in his direction almost instantly before she appears with a questioning look.

"Uh, yeah?" She asks, her eyes find Eddie who is still laying on the bed looking at Chim with a mildly unimpressed glare.

"I found Buck."

"What, where?" Hen asks. She looks around the room again and is about to question Chim's sanity when a hand suddenly pops out from behind Eddie and gives her a poor excuse for a wave. "Oh, there you are. Cap has lunch ready."

"Oh Hell yeah man! I'm freaking starving!" Buck says, although his voice becomes the only proof that he is indeed tucked away behind Eddie as his arm drops back down.

"Well, if you'd get off my arm I could get down so we can both go eat." Eddie mumbles, and Chim hears Buck whine something along the lines of 'But you're so comfy' and watches as Buck suddenly wraps himself around Eddie like a koala bear before Hen suddenly drags him out the door. She shuts it behind them and turns to give Chim another unimpressed look. 

"Seriously? Are you that shocked by them being in bed together? Its Buck and Eddie." She asks as she grabs his shoulders and turns him towards the stairs with a little push that gets his feet moving.

"I...no? More shocked that they seem to finally have their shit figured out enough to be cuddled together on a bed here in the station for the first time. I mean they've been practically dating for what, like ever?" Chim says as he finally shakes off the shock and follows Hen up the stairs.

"What do you mean first time? That's the second time they've done that. I stumbled in on them one other time." Hen says nonchalantly as they reach the top of the stairs. Chim freezes and sends Hen a injured look.

"And you didn't tell me?!?" He says. Bobby walks by them and sends them weird looks.

"Tell you what?" He asks.

"Chim is freaking out cause Buck and Eddie were napping on a bunk together for the 'first time'. But I told him it definitely wasn't the first time cause I've seen it at least once before." Hen says as she pulls out her chair and sinks down into it. Bobby nods and shrugs.

"They do it all the time. I've seen them passed out together before too." Bobby adds before setting the last dish down and taking his place at the head of the table.

"Am I the only one who _hasn't_ seen it before?!?!" Chim's question is greeted by a simple yes from both his Cap and best friend. He's gotta say, he's a little hurt that they never shared that bit of information with him.

Buck and Eddie make their way upstairs a few minutes later. Hen and Bobby are talking quietly and eating while Chim stares down at his phone grumpily. He had texted Maddie about his discovery, turns out he truly is the last one to find out about the two men.

But, eventually, Chim adds 'Buck and Eddie always nap together' to the list of things that he has grown used to.

(About a week later they told the team they were officially together. The team had essentially all said something along the lines of 'duh' before continuing their meal. Buck and Eddie had never been happier.)

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you guys have probably guessed, our favorite little boy Christopher will be taking center stage for the final chapter. 
> 
> (Also the idea for this chapter was prompted by a stupid video I saw that just screamed Chimney's reaction to Buddie to me. I don't even know how to explain it, just if you've seen it then you know!)


	5. Christopher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the final chapter! Sorry for the long wait between the last one and this one. I start nursing school in January and they slapped me in the face with heath requirements, appointments, and god knows what else. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy. Don't be afraid to leave a comment to let me know what you think!!

Christopher ends up stumbling across one of these moments between Buck and Eddie. Truthfully, it turns out to be the most important moment out of them all. It happens just a few days before Chim finds them in the bunk room.

Christopher had spent the night with Carla that evening. He doesn't know the entire story of why his dad had to stay at work late, but he had overheard Carla's shocked gasp and the whispered words of _"the whole building!"_

He had pretended he didn't hear it at first, but some time later that night a news cast had popped up on the TV and Christopher had watched as images of a 15 story apartment building that had, for the most part, collapsed unexpectedly filtered across the screen. He could just barely make out a reporter talking about how the few parts that were still standing were only hanging on by a thread.

Carla wasn't able to grab the remote and change the channel fast enough before he was able to catch a glimpse of a big red firetruck with the number _118 _printed across the front on the screen. And there, in the back, he could just barely see his dad and his Buck standing together as Captain Bobby talked to them.

So while he didn't know all the details, he knew exactly what was keeping his dad away.

Carla, after realizing that despite her efforts he had found out, had been spoiling him all night to keep his worry away. The news channel never came back on, he had two _huge _bowls of ice cream, and they watched all his favorite movies.

He was enjoying being spoiled so much that he didn't want to lose it by telling Carla that he wasn't worried at all. How can he be worried when he knows his Buck was there to protect his dad, and his dad was there to watch his Buck?

They'd be okay. They'd make it home to him. They always do.

So eventually, when Carla finally decided it time for bed he really didn't put up much of a fight. He just changed his pajamas, brushed his teeth, and scribbled out a quick note to his Dad and his Buck telling them that he loved them to leave on the counter for when they made it home.

Buck still has his own apartment, but he was supposed to have been staying the night that evening after he had gotten off his shift. He had actually been staying over more nights than not. Christopher just assumed that hadn't changed and knew his Buck would like the note just as much as his dad. After he had carefully folded the note, addressed it to them both, and laid it on the counter he followed Carla into the bedroom and let himself be tucked in.

He fell asleep pretty easy considering all the sugar he ate, but he had crashed pretty hard after the high. Which is why Chris was surprised when he woke up and it was still dark outside.

He sat up and rubbed at his eyes before glancing over at the clock. It was only 4:00 AM. He was still trying to figure what had woken up when his sleep-riddled mind finally picked up on the noise that was filtering in from the small crack left in his bedroom door.

_"__¡Eres un idiota! ¿Cómo pudiste hacer algo tan imprudente?" _Chris recognized the voice and tone of the person. It was his dad, and he was using angry-worried tone. But why? Who was he talki-

_"Eddie. I don't know what you're saying__. Please- Eddie would you stop pacing and actually talk to me." _Oh...that was Buck. Dad was talking to Buck.

_"¡Estoy hablando contigo!-" _Christopher hears a dull thud. Its the sound of his father's duffle being set down that he's learned to relate to his arrival home. They must have just recently got here. Chris assumes they waited until Carla had left to start whatever conversation they were having.

_"In English Eds. God I should have paid more attention in Spanish class." _Chris let's out a tiny giggle at Buck's words.

_"Now is not the time for jokes Evan. You could have died!" _Christopher's eyes widen. Dad used Buck's first name, he only uses first names when someone is in _big _trouble.

_"But I didn't Eds. I'm right here. Im fine. Just a couple cuts and bruises." _Christopher can't help himself. He starts pulling back the covers so he can sneak over to his door. He doesn't grab his crutches, he knows he can make it to the door safely without them. His dad and Buck would hear it if he tried to use them and something in Chris tells him he shouldn't interrupt this conversation.

_"That's not the point! The point is that you __**could **__have. And I.... I don't know what....and Chris-" _Christopher's slow shuffle to the door pauses as he hears his father's voice cut off sharply into a sob. _"Evan, you have to know that we can't lose you. __**I **__can't lose you." _

Christopher hears the sound of movement and the sounds of his father's tears becomes muffled. He shuffles the last few steps to his door and peers out of the crack. He can just barely see both Buck and his dad. Buck has both his arms wrapped tightly around his dad with his back to Chris. His dad has his face buried into Buck's neck as he holds on to Buck tight enough that his shirt is wrinkled and pulled tight. Chris strains his ears to hear Buck's words as he finally responds to Eddie.

_"I'm not going to go anywhere Ed. I swear. I'm sorry, I....I wasn't thinking. There was a little girl and I thought I had enough time to get to her before the rest of the building came down. As soon as I felt the rumble I went to a tub__. The whole time I was just praying to keep us safe. All I wanted was to get home to you. And to Chris. I didn't-" _Chris watches as Buck pulls away from Eddie and places both his hands on either side of Eddie's face. His thumbs swipe across his father's cheek the same way dad does to him when he wakes up from nightmares to brush away his tears. Once Buck catches Eddie's eyes he speaks again. _"I didn't mean to scare you. Im not going anywhere. I promise." _

Chris watches his father reach up and place a hand on one of Buck's that are on his cheek. He can barely hear the next words as his father whispers them.

"_I can't lose another person I love Buck. I just can't, it would break me." _

Christopher can't contain the huge smile that stretches across his face. He knows its a sad, intense, emotional moment between his father and Buck but if he's being completely honest, he feels like he he's been waiting forever for this to happen. He's had to catch himself from calling Buck dad more times than he can count lately. He has watched his dad fall in love with Buck over these last few years in a way that's deeper than Christopher believes his dad ever loved his mom. Which is okay to him, because all love is different. And he knows that his dad loved his mom.

But his dad and his Buck? Christopher is pretty sure they are meant to be together. What was it that Aunt Hen called it?....Soulmates?

By the time Christopher escapes his own happiness he looks over at his dad and his Buck again and all he sees is them kissing. Like _really _kissing. Chris scrunches up his face and quickly shuts his door the rest of the way. As much as all the stuff about Bucky and his dad may be true, he does _not _want to see that.

So Chris shuffles back to his bed and climbs back under the covers. Just as he gets settled down he hears footsteps pause outside his door. So he does the only logical thing and closes his eyes like he's asleep. A second later he hears the door creak open a bit.

_"See Eds? He's sound asleep. Nothing to worry about." _Christopher holds his breath to stop from giggling.

_" I could have sworn I heard his door shut..." _His dad mumbles softly before Chris hears the sound of clothing shuffling around as feet come padding closer to him. A second later he feel a hand sweep his hair off his forehead right before a pair of lips press against it. _"We love you too Superman." _

Chris knows that the sentiment is a response to his note that he had left on the counter. It takes everything in him not to smile and give up that he's awake. A few more seconds pass before the footsteps retreat and he hears the soft _snick _of his door clicking shut. He pops his head up and looks towards the door to see that it's closed firmly and the footsteps carry on in the direction on his father's bedroom. Chris falls asleep that night with a smile on his face and his heart full of love.

He does end up waking up 5 hours later around 9 AM. There's no noise filtering in from beneath the door which tells him that his dad and Buck must both still be asleep. Chris kicks his covers off and grabs his glasses to slip on his face. He opts for using his crutches this time because he knows he has a lot farther to walk in order to reach the couch, where he knows Bucky normally sleeps.

Except this time when Chris rounds the back of it, Buck isn't there. There isn't even a blanket or pillow that would mean he had slept there. But his duffle bag with his name is on the floor next to his dad's and his jacket is thrown across the back of the couch. So Chris checks the only other place he could be.

The door to his dad's bedroom creaks open when Chris pushes it. Loud enough that Chris freezes like a deer caught in headlights. When the lump of blankets on the bed doesn't so much as stir Chris continues. He reaches the bed and pulls down the covers just enough to reveal the face of who he thought would be his dad. Christopher is more than happy to find out that its actually Buck instead.

Unfortunetly removing the blanket from over his head causes the light shining in from the window to land straight on Buck's eyes. He's blinking them open not a second later to see Christopher standing there smiling at him.

"Hi Bucky." Chris whispers. Now that its day time Chris can see a small bruise on Buck's face and big cut on the arm he has folded up by his chest. Speaking of arms, Chris realizes that Buck's head is being pillowed by one. His father's, if the tattoo on the forearm is anything to go by.

"Chris, hey Buddy." Buck smiles sleepily at him. Christopher watches as the blankets behind Buck shift and suddenly he's greeted by the sight of his dad, tucked behind Buck with an arm thrown over him to keep him close.

"Oh hey Superman, time to get up? You hungry?" Chris watches as his dad and Buck both start wiggling around like they are going to get up but they both freeze when Chris starts rigorously shaking his head. They both look at him expectantly.

"Are you okay Bucky?" Chris mumbles as he reaches out and touches his hand lightly to the bruise on Buck's face. Buck smiles and nods at him.

"I'm as healthy as a horse. I promise." Buck responds. Chris narrows his eyes at him likes he's debating on whether he is telling the truth or not before simply shaking his head and starts to climb into the bed.

Both Eddie and Buck move in sync to make room for him up and between them. Once Chris is settled and comfortable between them Eddie reaches over and brushes a strand of hair off his forehead before speaking quietly as to not disturb the peaceful morning.

"You okay bud?" Chris nods and wiggles down deeper into the bed.

"Yeah, Bucky isn't feeling very good so I'm just gonna lay in bed with you and we can sleep some more." Buck looks like he is about to argue that statement but promptly closes his mouth when Eddie sends him a look with a single raised eyebrow.

"Sounds perfect buddy." Buck whispers instead. Buck and Eddie both turn on their sides and wrap all three of them up together on the bed before settling down with a happy sigh. Barely a minute passes before Christopher speaks up from between them.

"Hey, now that you guys are together, am I finally allowed to call Buck dad too?" He mumbles. Buck's eyes widen and his body goes rigid in shock.

"How would you know if we are together?" Eddie asks, seemingly unaware of Buck's reaction.

"You guys are sleeping in a bed together like a couple....and I might've saw you guys kiss last night." Christopher giggles.

"I knew I heard your door shut you little stinker." Eddie pokes Chris in the side as he speaks causing Chris to giggle. Chris smacks his dad's hand away before looking over at him.

"Well can I daddy?" He asks again. Eddie looks up at Buck finally and sees that Buck's eyes have become watery and red-rimmed.

"Well Superman, I think that's up to Buck." Eddie knows Buck's answer and he watches fondly as Chris rolls over onto his side to face Buck and asks him. Buck seems to be at a loss for words and just nods and gives him a watery smile. Chris smiles happily before simply burrowing down into Buck's chest and closes his eyes. Buck pulls him closer then looks up at Eddie. Eddie just reaches up and is the one to catch Buck's tears from falling this time before placing a soft kiss on Buck's lips.

Eddie knows some people may question why Chris was okay with calling Buck 'dad' so fast but the truth is the man has been like a father to Chris since he first met him. Even though Eddie had spent a lot of time trying to deny it at first, maybe even more than he had tried to deny that he had feelings for Buck in the first place. But in the end Eddie knows that the two boys he has here, wrapped up in his arms as they drift off back into the land of dreams together, are the sole owners of his entire heart. And Eddie knows he couldn't have placed it in safer hands.

He's still going to kill Buck for his stunt last night eventually. But for now he'll settle with a lazy day in bed with his family.

Eddie doesn't even want to think about what the reactions of the 118 family is going to be. All he knows is they are all going to have to deal with the fact that they weren't the first to know. Chris was, and rightfully so. Eddie smiles and tightens his hold on the two before drifting off to sleep himself.

Its the best sleep they have had in a far too long amount of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm also currently obsessed with this beautifully written fic called The Space Between Sleep by Tattered_Dreams. If you are looking for a new fic to read its absolutely amazing so y'all should definitely go show it some love.

**Author's Note:**

> Im not entirely sure where this fic is heading for an ending BUT you will have a chapter for each member of the firefam's POV for a time when they catch Buddie snuggling. There's also a very good chance Ill throw one in from Maddie and Chris' POV. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the support! This is for you!


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